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10 best indie games releases in May 2025 – smaller gems worth checking out

In the mood for something smaller between huge, tentpole video game releases? Here's the best we played from this past month. A whistlestop tour through some of the very best indie games released throughout the month of May, judging by what we played. There's a strong argument to say that May might have been the best month of 2025 yet for indie games. It's no secret that Steam releases are becoming more frequent (and therefore harder to stay on top of) by the year, hence why we take our mission to highlight and talk about the best from what we played incredibly seriously. But while April's selection of indie hits featured potential GOTY winner Blue Prince, the month of May had variety and creativity in spades – as we'll soon discover. ‌ From multiple isometric GTA throwbacks looking to bring something new to the format to the latest entry in the burgeoning 'first-person booter' format, these are the 10 best indie games releases in May 2025. Between big AAA release like Doom: The Dark Ages and Blades of Fire, these are the indie treats we enjoyed playing most. ‌ Aureole – Wings of Hope A seriously fast-paced 2D platformer clearly intended as a modern tribute to the era of old-school Sonic the Hedgehog, Aureole – Wings of Hope does a great job at balancing serious speed with satisfying level design that is rarely frustrating to regularly bump up against. Barrelling through heavenly and hellish stages as an angel's halo in order to reclaim your home from demonic forces (yes, you read that correctly), true diehards will want to run through stages repeatedly in the hopes of securing the best time. If you're in the mood for a contender to classic Sonic, then Aureole – Wings of Hope will sure scratch that itch in its own charming way. Deliver at All Costs Destructive environments in games – indie or otherwise – are never not fun. Proving this once again are the sandbox driving delights of Deliver at All Costs. Because while most of your time is indeed spent transporting items by vehicle as the game's title suggests, you'll spent an equal amount ploughing through buildings, people, and more all in the name of on-time delivery. Surrounding this chaos is a so-so narrative about trying to rise up the ranks of 1950s industry, but really Deliver at All Costs is at its best when routinely challenging you to get from one location to the other with all cargo intact while battling some seriously slippery driving physics. It results in a surprisingly chaotic top-down GTA spin. ‌ Empyreal A lot more than just a Soulslike copycat, Empyreal is a hardcore third-person action RPG made by a small team that boasts plenty of ideas of its own. Most of them centre on gaining better, more powerful loot that means being able to hit harder and take on harder challenges, yet it's backed up by a surprisingly interesting story that sees you continuously exploring a planet to unearth the revelations that once belonged to an ancient civilisation. Obviously, you can totally ignore these lore elements if you so wish, where you'll still find some seriously satisfying combat and a generous number of aggressive and passive abilities that renders builds surprisingly flexible. If you're seeking a tight and focussed action game that keeps on giving, Empyreal is it. Monster Train 2 Just in case you thought the original Monster Train wasn't as moreish as roguelike deckbuilders could come, its sequel arrived this month as a bigger, better package that proves even harder to put down. Crucially, developer Shiny Shoe hasn't completely overhauled the addictive formula that worked so well before. You'll still battle against waves of invading monsters protecting the pyre at the top of your three-tiered train. Now, however, new clans introduce fresh ways to play offensively and defensively, alongside new daily challenges, card types, and new unlockable pyres with unique perks able to make or break your run. Simply put, Monster Train 2 is the pinnacle of what a roguelike deckbuilder can be and a perfect follow-up to the 2020 original. To a T ‌ Katamari creator Keita Takahashi has a habit of making games that are a bit more, shall we say, 'off-kilter' compared to most others. It worked for Katamari Damacy, and it works again here in To a T, a colourful slice-of-life adventure about a schoolkid who is forever trapped in a T-pose. Determined not to let this unusual predicament get them down, however, To a T sees you control them throughout daily life in their hometown where you gradually learn the lesson that 'you're the perfect shape' because every shape is, in fact, perfect. Complete with madcap musical sequences, wholesome characters, and oddball minigames aplenty, To a T is a very special time for the brief period it lasts. Glum Against all odds, the 'first-person booter' is becoming a bit of a movement all its own thanks to the indie scene. First there was Anger Foot, then Mullet MadJack kicked its way into our hearts, and now it's the turn of Glum to do much the same. True, it's currently in early access as opposed to full release, yet already to appreciate the bombastic, boot-driven action it provides with its frantic and fast-paced first-person gameplay. It feels wildly distinct to its forebears thanks to its uniquely medieval setting, where player stake on the role of a deranged goblin reading primed to kick enemy arses into haybales, wagons, and a whole lot more. The more creative your kick-fuelled kills the better in this madcap FPS driven by your own magical boot. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo What if your auntie was the CEO of a tech empire who one day had her soul transferred into a magical yoyo? As barmy a premise for an old-school action-adventure game as it might be, this is the core question at the centre of Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo. Unusual narrative setups aside, it makes for a lovingly made top-down 2D throwback that pays excellent tribute to the GBA era in both its visual style, puzzles, and structure. You'll explore a whole city trying to take down four crime bosses, wielding the power of your yoyo as both a weapon and puzzle-solving tool. As if it was ever in doubt, this very first 'yoyovania' ever is an undeniably charming journey. ‌ The Precinct Having already tackled the reprehensible side of the law with top-down criminal simulator, American Fugitive, a few years ago, developer Fallen Tree Games is back at it again with The Precinct. As its title suggests this time you play the part of police officer, solving crimes within a New York style city in the 1980s with surprisingly accurate (and often meticulous) detail. The story has its heart in the right place but can often get in the way of what The Precinct does best, which is present a classic GTA style world from the opposite perspective of what Rockstar's titles typically portray. From high-speed chases to issuing parking tickets, The Precinct achieves its goal of letting you roleplay as a cop within a tightly detailed isometric sandbox. The Siege and the Sandfox With indie Metroidvania games being a dime a dozen these days, The Siege and the Sandfox definitely surfaces as a diamond in the rough by focussing on stealth over direct combat. You play as the titular sneaky thief thrown down into the pits of an underground city, gaining increasingly more complex parkour abilities such as pole-swinging and wall-running that helps give this pixelated explore-a-thon a uniquely different flavour than most. Enhancing this stealth-fuelled story of revenge is narration provided by Baldur's Gate 3 's Amelia Taylor, who does an equally excellent job providing additional texture to this beautiful world and narrative. Special mention: Sea of Stars – Throes of the Watchmaker Easily one of the best indie games to recapture the magic of vintage Final Fantasy in recent years, the original Sea of Stars mixed beautiful pixel art with great characters and combat to be a standout indie title of 2023. This month offered an excellent reason to return to it in the from of the new Throes of the Watchmaker DLC. It sees heroes Valere and Zale shrunken down into a clockwork world, where they must battle twisted versions of themselves while using all-new class skills themed after the funfair. Throes of the Watchmaker is not only a reminder of what made Sea of Stars great, but is equally ace in its own right.